Lear Corporation

Is Lear publicly traded?
Yes. Lear Corporation trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker LEA. It has been public since emerging from Chapter 11 in late 2009 and shares are held by institutional investors.

When was Lear founded?
The company's roots date to 1917 as American Metal Products Company in Detroit. Lear Corporation was formed in 1988 through the merger of American Metal Products with the Lear Siegler seating division.

What does Lear make?
Lear makes complete automotive seat systems in its Seating segment and electrical distribution products in its E-Systems segment, including wire harnesses, connectors, power electronics, and connected-vehicle software. Its customers are global automakers.

Who is the CEO of Lear?
Ray Scott is president and chief executive officer, a role he has held since February 2018. He has led the company's expansion in E-Systems and its automation program.

What was Lear's revenue in 2025?
Lear reported revenue of $23.3 billion for fiscal year 2025, essentially flat versus 2024, with net income of $437 million and adjusted net income of $686 million. Seating generated $17.3 billion and E-Systems generated $6.0 billion.

What is the largest business award Lear won?
In 2025, Lear secured its largest seating conquest award on record: a complete seat program for a major American automaker's truck platform. The company also won $1.4 billion in E-Systems awards, its second-largest annual total.

The company's roots trace to 1917, when American Metal Products Company was founded in Detroit to manufacture tubular, welded, and stamped steel parts for the booming auto industry. The company became a major supplier of seat frames and components over the following decades.

In 1988, Lear Corporation was formed through a merger of American Metal Products with Lear Siegler Holdings' seating division, a defense contractor's automotive business. The combination created a dedicated automotive seating manufacturer at the moment automakers were moving toward outsourcing complete interior systems.

Lear grew aggressively in the 1990s and 2000s through acquisition and vertical integration, expanding from seat structures into foam, trim, electronics, and complete just-in-time seat assembly, while adding a complementary electrical distribution business. The 2008-09 industry collapse forced the company into Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2009; it emerged in November 2009 after a rapid reorganization, becoming one of the faster large industrial bankruptcies on record.

After emerging, Lear expanded in China and invested in E-Systems and connectivity. Under Scott, the company launched its "IDEA by Lear" automation initiative combining manufacturing execution, AI, and digital twin technology, and has positioned itself as a key supplier for EV and autonomous-vehicle electrical architecture.

A landmark win in 2025 was the largest seating conquest award in company history, a complete seat program for a major American automaker's truck platform. The company also secured $1.4 billion in E-Systems awards, its second-largest annual total.

Lear has published sustainability commitments covering carbon reduction, renewable energy, and waste diversion across its manufacturing network, and it has set targets to power operations increasingly with renewable electricity. The company reports progress on reducing scope 1 and 2 emissions consistent with automotive supplier norms.

As an auto supplier, Lear's social profile centers on labor practices in a global manufacturing network that includes large Mexican and Eastern European workforces. The company reports union relations and safety metrics, and it has faced periodic labor organizing efforts at Mexican plants that ended without major disruption.

Product sustainability is driven by lightweighting for fuel efficiency and material choices for seats; the company has developed sustainable foam and leather alternatives as automakers pursue greener interiors.

Lear's Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009 is a notable historical event that wiped out pre-reorganization shareholders and transferred value to creditors, a standard outcome that some long-term investors still cite as a caution on the stock's cyclicality.

The company faces the standard challenges of a global manufacturer: labor cost and unionization pressure in Mexico and Eastern Europe, tariffs affecting cross-border component trade, and safety recalls when components fail, though no systemic defect scandal comparable to Takata's airbag recall has been tied to Lear.

In 2024 and 2025, tariffs on imported auto components pressured margins and forced supply-chain adjustments; Lear disclosed restructuring charges aimed at consolidating facilities and reducing headcount, which hurt GAAP results even as adjusted earnings grew.